


All Kings' Day

by Bramblepelt



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M, Might get more spicy as we go along, Mild Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:42:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28878159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bramblepelt/pseuds/Bramblepelt
Summary: Ignis has a terrible, absolutely stressful, completely awful day.But at least tomorrow can be better.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	All Kings' Day

Ignis Scientia woke up first.

This was a normal occurrence. 

He woke up right as the sun was rising over the horizon. He dressed quickly (well, quickly for him, given the opportunity he would take the time to do it right), unpacked the stove he’d dutifully cleaned and repacked the night before, and began the preparation of their morning meal. 

Today’s breakfast would consist of eggs, a bit of steak from their most recent hunt, a sliced pepper that was not looking to maintain its freshness for more than another day, and a handful of mushrooms he’d discovered on their approach to this campsite.

Normally breakfast would be a much less labor intensive undertaking. He’d find a way to reheat or repurpose leftovers from their last supper. But last night’s meal was so well received, there were none to be had. So a made-from-scratch breakfast was today’s menu.

Ignis also set up the percolator. After yesterday’s marathon fighting, between seemingly endless waves of Magitek units bookending their hunt and the long walk it took to make it here before nightfall, the others would appreciate the slight energy boost.

He opened a can of Ebony for himself, of course.

He knew how the rest of the morning would proceed:

Approximately half an hour after Ignis left the tent, Gladiolus would join him outside. He would approach, making his presence known with a kiss to the side of Ignis’ face or another small gesture of affection.

“Smells amazing.” He’d say, as always. Then he would stretch and begin his morning run.

Ignis would continue cooking, and right when everything was almost complete, Prompto would then emerge.

“Hey Iggy! Breakfast smells great, need any help?” He’d ask, always when everything was nearly finished anyway. He could not fault the boy for his timing, or the insecurity in his position that always drove him to offer assistance regardless of his ability to do so. Ignis always had a task he required of Prompto nearly every morning anyway.

“You can let our dear Noctis know his breakfast is ready, and he should wake up soon if he wants it warm.”

Prompto would give an affirmative and return to the tent for his task.

And then, Gladio would be back. Just in time to replenish his electrolytes and protein, and more likely than not, assist Prompto with his wake up duties.

The prince would be dragged from his sleeping bag and mope about the vegetation included in his meal. 

An argument would ensue, usually about the importance of nutritional balance but sometimes another petty slight would spark the back and forth. It would peter out as they packed up and continued on for the day’s itinerary.

That is how each morning went. 

At least, when they camped at a haven. It was predictable, routine. It felt nice that amongst all the other unknowns, shake ups, drastic changes, and sudden bouts of violence, these small pockets of their days had a rhythm he could anticipate.

Thirty five minutes had passed since he left the tent.

He heard the zipper, felt the pavlovian readiness for some type of affectionate greeting from his lover. 

“Hey, Specs.” It was Noct. “Are those peppers? Come on....why ruin a perfectly good breakfast?” He whined.

“Where’s Gladiolus?” Ignis asked, choosing to ignore his prince’s comment. “And how is it you have woken up before him?”

Noct got closer to the stove to investigate what other terrible ingredients might be lurking in the pan. “Still asleep. Probably worn out from yesterday. Anyway, Prompto was snoring too much so I decided to just get up.”

And speaking of, Prompto poked his head out looking a bit worse for wear.

“Heyas, uh, I think the big guy is sick.” He called from the tent flap.

“Gladio doesn’t get sick.” Noctis said, turning too quickly towards the tent, his elbow colliding with the handle of the pan and knocking it down. “Shit!” He yelped, reaching out thoughtlessly and grabbing for the pan. “SHIT!” He yelled, dropping the searing hot cookware. 

“Ah, duuuude, now the steak is all covered in dirt.” Prompto whined, emerging from the tent. “If you didn’t want to eat peppers that badly you could’ve just given them to me.” He pouted.

Ignis sighed, pinching his nose under his glasses, and took a deep breath. 

“Sorry, Iggy…” Noct cringed at him.

Another deep breath. “Prompto, would you kindly fetch the burn cream and wound dressing from the first aid kit for Noct? I’ll see to Gladiolus.”

“Oh! Uh, sure thing!” Prompto squeaked.

Ignis kneeled to move back into the tent, but could tell even before crossing the zippered threshold that Prompto’s diagnosis was correct. The man looked terrible. His skin was paler than usual, highlighting his now very red nose. Ignis put a hand to his forehead, it was burning hot and felt clammy to the touch. 

“Hey babe…” Gladio muttered, opening one eye to make sure he’d addressed the correct person. “Just getting up now, jusgon take a...justa”

“Gladiolus, you’re ill.” Ignis frowned. That certainly changed the outlook for the day. In all the time the two men had known each other, Ignis had only seen Gladio sick all of once.

And it was a nightmare.

“What? Nah...no, I’m fine it’s just…” He started bracing himself up on his arms before faltering and leaning back into the sleeping bag. “It’s just a…” He swung his arm over his eyes. “It’s just a thing…” He sniffed.

“You’re sick. Stay here, let me check our medical provisions.” What little there were, Ignis thought to himself. Yesterday’s hunt was done out of a need to replenish several supplies. They meant to return to town today, turn in their work for payment, and refresh their current dwindling stock of necessities.

Perhaps there would be something he’d overlooked. Doubtful, but he’d check nonetheless. Upon exiting the tent, he was greeted by the scene of Prompto fidgeting around with the stove as Noct was wrapping both of his hands in dressing….with his mouth.

“Dun worry Iggy...Ponto an me got this under contol.” Noct said with a length of bandaging between his teeth.

“Yep! We’ll fix breakfast and get things together while you take care of Gladio!” Prompto smiled with such a sweet look of innocence that Ignis almost felt bad to have to inform him he was most certainly not helping.

“Whatever it is you’re cooking is burning.” Ignis said as he walked over to where the two were making a worse mess of the situation.

Prompto turned back around in shock to see what Ignis could easily smell across the haven. 

“Awe man, I swear it wasn’t even hot a moment ago.” The boy whined, fidgeting with the spatula at whatever was stuck to the pan.

“Easy, Prompto. You wedge it too hard and you’ll-” Noct’s instruction was cut off by the very burnt whole fish springing from the pan and slapping him in the face. “Shit!” He screamed, bandaged hands flying to his eyes.

“Sorry sorry sorry!” Prompto cried. “Let me get that burn cream, where’d you put it?!” And in the final injustice of the morning, Ignis could only watch in slow motion as Prompto’s panicked movements knocked into the table, sending it teetering over, stove, percolator, can of Ebony and all.

Deep breath. Deep breath. Deep. Breath.

“Alright, you two. Go sit.” Ignis pointed at the set of camping chairs. “And do not touch anything unless I say. Noct, where did you-” The first aid kit he was looking for was open on the ground, now soaking in boiling water and broken glass.

“Whadiyou two do?” Came the congested voice of Gladio, outside the tent, fully dressed.

“You doing okay, big guy?” Prompto asked.

“Is fine, fine. I’m gonna run. Just...just gotta run.” He waved his hand in the direction of the wooded area.

“No. You need to rest. Go back to the tent.” Keep it together, Ignis. Do not crack under pressure, you’ve made it through much worse.

“Gladio....you really don’t look good.” Noctis stood from his chair. “Maybe you should listen to Iggy and-” Noctis barely had a moment to react as Gladiolus seemed to fall unconscious. Right on to the prince, bringing both of them to the hard ground below.

Bloody hell.

“Ah, sssss, shit, my head.” Noct whimpered as he and Prompto attempted to remove the behemoth from on top of him.

“Ah dude, the back of your head is bleeding!” Prompto yelled.

Ignis rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. He could handle this. He could.

The last potion for Noctis, now desperately needed. Work with Prompto to move Gladio into his camping chair. Instruct Prompto to fetch a blanket to keep him warm. Give Noctis a trash bag to hold, dispose of all waste. There was not much which was salvageable from their miniature disaster.

It was now mid-morning, none of them had eaten, and Gladio was out cold in need of medication they did not have. Think, Ignis. Strategize how to attain the best possible scenario for this situation.

It was a long walk from here to the Regalia, one Gladio was in no shape to make. It was possible they could split up, someone staying here to watch Gladiolus while the other two retrieved the funds, medicine, and some food. But who could be trusted to fulfill each role? 

Ah yes, the logic puzzle of the fox, the chicken, and the bag of seed. If the farmer leaves the fox and the chicken behind, the fox will eat the chicken. If the farmer leaves the chicken and the seed bag behind, the chicken will eat all the seed. He can only fit two of them on his boat at any time. How does he cross the river?

If he leaves Noctis behind, he will undoubtedly fall asleep. If he leaves Prompto behind, he will be unable to stop Gladio from stumbling off into the wilderness should he attempt to do so again. Not from lack of strength, mind, but from lack of will to be forceful in his mannerisms. 

None of them should make the walk to the car alone. There were too many troublesome beasts on the path. Should Prompto and Noctis make the walk together, they would easily become sidetracked by someone requiring aid, or a stray cat walking around, or a rock that slightly resembled a chocobo.

Not for the first time, Ignis cursed his inability to be in two places at once.

Very well, desperate times called for desperate measures. 

“Alright, pack up. We’re going to get Gladio back to the Regalia.” They could take turns bracing the man who made it quite clear he wanted to walk around in the woods anyway. It would decrease the time between now and when Gladio could take medication, not to mention eat a decent meal. 

And for a short while, the plan worked. Gladio was somewhat cognizant after his nap. Prompto maintained his ever helpful nature, seeing to it the larger man did not stray off course. Noctis showed a modicum of leadership despite his exhaustion. There was a bit of rain, as expected in this part of the region, but not too much.

It was going well.

Until.

The gigantoad.

“No problem, stand back guys.” Noct moved easily towards the creature, hand outstretched, summoning a bout of magic to weaken it.

“Noct!” Ignis yelled, sensing which magic he was summoning and foreseeing the resulting consequences. “Do not use your electricity in the-”

The gigantoad interrupted Noct’s impending mistake far more efficiently than Ignis could have. His tongue slapped into the prince, knocking him back to the ground.

“I got this.” Gladio said, with a swish of magic particles he summoned his weapon. Gladio held a folded camp chair in his hands with all the confidence of a man holding his great sword. 

“No you do not, Prompto!” Ignis called his favored lance to his grip.

“On it!” Prompto yelled, redirecting the sick man away from danger.

Noctis got back on his feet, a little unsteady, and grabbed his engine blade from the void. Prompto, now body blocking Gladio from charging in, managed to get a few decent shots in. A perfect slice here, a well placed piercing strike there, and in no time with a generous amount of teamwork, the beast had been felled.

“Ssss...think I twisted my ankle.” Noct hissed as he grabbed his right foot, setting all his weight on his left.

“Let me see.” Ignis took a quick glance, the beginnings of redness and swelling were indeed setting in. They weren’t too far off from their initial goal now, but continuing to put pressure on it may create undue strain. 

“Oh, I can carry him!” Prompto joined the two of them, hand waving in the air. “Just like that one time you messed up your knee at the arcade, remember?” 

“Ugh, never playing one of those dancing games ever again.” Noct sighed before gracefully hopping onto Prompto’s back.

“Are you sure you can handle that, Prompto?” Ignis asked as he steadied a fever hazed Gladio at his side.

“Yep! Like I said. That time after the arcade was a much longer walk, plus I didn’t have all these sweet muscles yet.”

Noct gave Prompto a pat on the head. “Giddy up, chocobo.” And just like that they were off.

“Howdiged here?” Gladio mumbled as they continued on together.

“Very carefully.” Ignis replied, rubbing his hand on the man’s back. “We’ll be back in the car in no time, then you can go back to sleep.”

“Idoneed any...sleep.” 

The Regalia was parked at the side of the road, next to a long staircase that gave them access to the wooded area they were now blessedly leaving. Ignis’ relief at the sight of the vehicle was quickly tempered the moment he caught sight of the driver’s side.

The side view mirror was missing. Worse, there were deep scratches all along the side, and a massive dent in the housing for the front tire. And that was just the visible damage.

And the culprit hadn’t even been polite enough to leave a note.

“Mmmm...looks like a trip to Hammerhead is on the agenda now.” Noct sighed as he limped into the back seat.

“Awe yeah, I can show Cindy the photos I took of those cute little birds….hm, but she’s probably also going to be pissed off about this.” Prompto gestured at the damage.

“We don’t have enough gil for a tow truck and repairs.” Ignis frowned. If they wanted to get the car to Hammerhead and fixed, and still have enough for food, lodging, and some basic medical supplies, they’d have to take on another hunt.

“Isfine.” Gladio said from his spot in the back seat. “She can make it is fine.”

Perhaps, with his careful driving and attention to the road, they could make it to Hammerhead sans tow truck.

“Very well, I suppose we can get what we need at the shop there.” Ignis took another deep calming breath, turned the ignition, and slowly, oh so very slowly, began driving down the road.

“Hey Noct!” Prompto turned in his seat. “I’ve been taking a lot of photos of what I wanna see, but what about what you want?”

“Hmm.” Noct hummed for a moment. “Get some shots of Specs.”

“I’d prefer if you would-” Ignis was cut off by the bright flash of Prompto’s camera. 

“Woops, forgot to turn that off...oof, that one is destined for the trash.” Prompto winced at his work.

“Lemmesee, I wanna see my...my guy…”

“Gladio, try to get some sleep.” Ignis called to the backseat. 

“Don’t think he needed to be told twice.” Noct said, as the sound of Gladio’s snoring began.

They somehow made it to their destination with their car intact. Cindy was there to greet them as they pulled into the garage.

“Apologies, Cindy. Seems someone managed a hit and run while we were away.”

“Awe, ain’t no thing. I’ll have her fixed up real nice in a jiffy! Might wanna get your friend Gladio over there fixed up too.” She tipped her hat and got to work.

“You’re the best, Cindy.” Prompto gushed as Noct jumped onto his back.

“Matter of fact, all you lot look a bit roughed up. Y’all take better care of yourselves, you hear?” 

Ignis nodded in appreciation before leading his band of merry men to the Kenny’s dining room. After turning in the bounty for gil, he helped Gladio slide carefully into a booth.

“You three remain here, go ahead and order. I’m going to stop into the shop for a moment, hopefully find some cold medicine and a well deserved cold Ebony.” Ignis adjusted his glasses . before nodding at Prompto. “Mind ordering for us?”

“Mmhm, you like the salmon, and Gladio...should probably eat some soup. Oh! And a bag of ice for Noct’s ankle.”

“Indeed, good thinking Prompto.” Ignis gave him a pat on the shoulder, not missing the immense pride shining in his bright eyes. “Be back in just a moment.”

He could overhear the two boys speaking as he left.

“Do you know what my order is, too?”

“Uuuh, duh, dude. Cheeseburger, medium well, extra cheese, no LTO, fries, and a milkshake.”

“And that’s why I love you.”

Ignis smiled and took a breath of the outside air. Finally, a quiet moment he’d been craving since this utterly bizarre morning began. In the small shop, the radio was loudly buzzing with some pop song rife with electric instruments.

_Two times and it has rendered me  
Punch drunk and without bail  
Think I'd be safer all alone_

The vocalist’s rough sound was a bit grating to his ears, but he chose to ignore the noise and carry on in search of his prize. Signs were taped along the shelves, ‘All Kings’ Day Sale!’. Ah, he’d somehow forgotten. 

How strange, being in a position where he could forget such a holiday. This time last year he’d been thoroughly exhausted after weeks of planning, coordinating vendors, assigning staffing needs throughout each event, and ensuring the color swatches were the exact correct hue for the tablecloths. It had been something of a dry run, a test to ensure he’d be capable of directing such important events in his prince’s future.

He’d passed with flying colors, in the exact perfect hue of course. And immediately compiled a spreadsheet with detailed accounts of what worked, what didn’t, and what to add and improve on for next year.

What a silly waste of time that turned out to be.

Cold medicine. Check. A new first aid kit, unfortunately. Check. A cold can of Ebony.

…

Sold out.

“Sorry man, stuffs been in high demand lately, just sold the last one a few minutes ago.” The cashier shrugged his shoulders.

That’s alright. It’s fine. What mattered was the medicine for Gladiolus, and the Regalia back in top shape. Once they were back on the road, they could stop at the next shop and try there.

It’s fine.

He heard the sound of a can clicking open. He snuck a glance over his shoulder to see someone far too young to be consuming caffeine taking a drink of said last can.

Deep breath.

He paid for the provisions he was able to find and made his way back to the dining room.

With some gentle coaching, Gladiolus managed to down the medication with a full glass of water and some amount of sustenance. By the time they were nearly through eating he seemed mostly like his normal self again. Thank the Gods.

“Yeah you were totally out of it, dude. It was like you were drunk or something!” Prompto laughed.

“He doesn’t get sick very often, but when he does…” Noct trailed off before biting down on a french fry.

“We are simply grateful to have you back from your viral state of inebriation.” Ignis smiled as he put his arm around Gladio’s shoulders.

“Still not sure how we got to Hammerhead….” Gladio sighed. 

“Uuuh, in the car?” Noct said.

“Thanks Noct, very helpful.” 

“Oh! Speaking of, we should check on Cindy!” Prompto hopped up from the booth.

“Indeed, she should have an estimate ready by now.”

And she did. And it was bad.

“Sorry, y’all. Gonna need a little more time to get this piece here in decent shape. I’m surprised you managed to drive it to me without it breaking completely. Next time, you should really call for a lift.” Cindy looked at them sadly. “In the meantime, you should consider getting some rest over at the caravan. That there cold medicine makes the symptoms stop, but it don’t cure what ails ya.”

“Good thinking, Cindy.” Gladio pulled Ignis close to his side. “I think a couple hours’ rest would do us some good.”

“Indeed.” Ignis replied. A quick nap might be what he needed to turn this day around.

Noctis stretched his arms to the sky. “Yes….nap time.”

As Ignis stepped into the caravan, Gladio turned around and whispered something to the other two. 

“Yeah...I guess…” He heard Noct mumble, before he and Prompto turned back and Gladio closed and locked the door.

“Not the easiest day for you, if I’m piecing my memories together right.” Gladio smiled, putting his hands on Ignis’ hips.

Ignis exhaled a laugh. “I’d say it was a bit more over the top than usual, yes.”

Gladio pulled him in close, pressing their foreheads together. “Think there might be a way we can salvage this day…” He whispered.

“And what exactly was your plan to do so?” Ignis asked, coyly raising an eyebrow.

Gladio replied with a smirk and a kiss, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him tight against his own body. 

Ah yes, that will do quite nicely, Ignis thought as he parted his lips to let Gladio move in further. Ignis trailed his hand up Gladio’s back to curl into the ends of his hair. No matter how hard he kept to a routine, he would never have as lucious or soft a mane as Gladio attained naturally.

At least Ignis could enjoy it like this.

He heard a soft clicking sound, and soon felt the gentle pressure of his belt release. Gladio’s hands moved smoothly around his waist and down his backside, kneading and grabbing at him.

The things this man did to him.

Like make him melt completely, with such small gestures like his lips at Ignis’ throat or the deep moaning sound that vibrated through Gladio’s chest right into his own. Ignis had partners before, just a few here and there. But nothing as serious, as warm in its depth as what Gladio gave him.

Someone he could trust to take over. Someone he could unwind himself, let go, be completely undone in front of without fear. With Gladio’s hands on him he could simply stop and let the analytical, worrying, responsible parts of him shut down and just. Enjoy.

Gladio got to his knees. 

Enjoy this, he shall. Ignis leaned his head back against the wall, eyes closed, taking in the sensation of Gladio’s mouth on his stomach, his hip bones, trailing slowly down to his destination. Hot breath, soft tongue, strong hands began working him up, and finally-

A knock at the caravan door.

Whoever it was should make peace with the Gods immediately.

“Not now, guys!” Gladio yelled at the door before turning his attention back to Ignis. Another round of door knocking commenced. “Ignore them, they probably just spent all their gil at the pinball machine and can’t entertain themselves.” 

Ignis ran his fingers through Gladio’s hair as the man continued his calming ministrations. That tight ball of stress in his stomach slowly started to unwind, finally, replaced by the easiness of his lover’s doting lips.

The door unlocked.

The door opened.

“Where’s that dag nabbit prince, I’ve got an earful for-”

Cid stood there, hands on his hips, taking in the wholly unexpected scene in front of him.

“Prince ain’t in here, I reckon.”

“Nope.” Gladio said, forehead pressed against Ignis’ abdomen. “Nope, sent him to Kenny’s to play pinball.”

Cid nodded. “Well...you two have fun.”

The door closed. Cid kindly locked the door behind him.

Ignis sighed, feeling that stress ball tightening back up.

“It’s alright, why don’t we just-?”

“No,” Ignis reached for his pants, pulling them back into place, “it's gone, darling. And in any case, you really ought to be sleeping lest you crash even harder once the medication wears off.”

Gladio frowned, getting back to his feet. “If that’s what you need, babe.” He gave Ignis a lingering kiss on his temple before making his way to the beds and removing his shoes. “But don’t go stressing over Noct and Prompto. Just let the kids have their fun, they can take care of themselves.” He smiled over at Ignis before collapsing against the mattress.

Easier said than done, Ignis thought to himself as he quietly left the caravan. Perhaps a casual walk could do him some good. A bit of sunshine, some warm desert air, and-

And a man sprinting from the Kenny’s doorway towards the road.

“Get back here, asshole!” Noct screamed from the diner before materializing a dagger, throwing it towards the man, and warping into him, catching the blade before it could find its home in his flesh. The two tumbled to the ground, ending right at Ignis’ feet. Alongside Prompto’s camera.

Prompto’s very nice, very expensive, now cracked and broken camera.

“You think it’s okay to just take people’s stuff?!” Noct yelled at the offender. Prompto was quickly at his side, worrying over Noct before noticing the tragedy that lay before them.

“My...my camera…” He whispered. Ignis joined the boy, helping him pick up the pieces.

“It’s going to be alright, Prompto, perhaps we can find a means to repair it.” It was unlikely, but they could try. And he felt the need to say something reassuring to the absolute heartbroken face currently turning a bright shade of red.

“It’s... it’s okay! See? The memory card! The memory card is still one piece. It probably still works fine. That’s...the important part…” Prompto tried and failed to reassure himself. 

“Gods, sorry Prom.” Noct whispered as the perpetrator struggled beneath. He knocked the prince off his back and took off quickly. “Get back-!”

“Noct, let him go.” Ignis commanded before he had a chance to warp strike into the man once again. 

“But he-” Noct pointed at Prompto, kneeling on the ground and barely holding back tears.

“He was most likely desperate enough for money to steal, nothing productive can come from hunting him like a garula.” Ignis stood, confident they found every piece. “Now, let’s take a seat, and see what needs to be done about this.”

After a long and thorough check, Prompto gave his final prognosis. “There’s no way I can fix this.” He sniffed. “Guess I just need to look out for a new camera…” He let his head fall over the back of the plastic chair. “But that’s going to cost so much…”

“We’ll figure something out.” Noct insisted, taking Prompto’s hands in his. “There has to be some way we can...we’ll fix this.”

They couldn’t, but Noct’s optimism made Prompto smile all the same.

The door of the caravan swung open; Gladio emerged looking only slightly as terrible as he had that morning. 

“We’ve got a problem.” He said.

“Another?” Noct whined. “What else could possibly go wrong now?”

“Well,” Gladio started, before a pool of water began trickling out from the door and onto the pavement below. “I think that says it all.”

Upon reporting the plumbing issue, Cindy gave them further bad news: that the Regalia would not be ready for the road until at least tomorrow.

Camping it was, then.

They had one more meal courtesy of Takka. On the house this time, for all the trouble with the caravan. And while Ignis would have preferred a dinner with less butter and salt, he was grateful for the break all the same.

The nearby haven was oddly comforting. The first one they’d crashed on when this whole journey began. Strange to feel such nostalgia for something that occurred so relatively recently.

They set up as quickly as they could, everyone too exhausted to stay up around the campfire. Gladio had another round of cold medicine to get him through the night. Prompto was uncharacteristically quiet, still mourning his unfortunate loss. 

Noctis settled into his sleeping bag, wedged between Ignis and Gladio. “Today sucked.” He whispered as he pulled the bedding over his face.

Indeed it had. Quite the understatement. But if history could be counted on, tomorrow Gladio would feel better. They’d end up stumbling across some sort of merchant who could repair Prompto’s camera, Cindy would have the Regalia good as new, and Noctis could continue on his journey of becoming the king he was meant to be. Things always seemed to work out one way or another.

Tomorrow would be better, Ignis thought as he drifted off to a blessed sleep.

\---

Ignis Scientia woke up first.

This was a normal occurrence. But rather than get up, dress, and begin the morning meal preparations, he took a few minutes for himself. He still felt the heavy weight of exhaustion pulling him into the pillow. Yesterday had tested his fortitude quite thoroughly, and he required just a little bit more time to rest before facing this new sunrise.

And so he did.

Satisfied that he could handle whatever challenges might come, he rose and dressed. Stepping out of the tent to breathe in the fresh morning air and stretch, he felt ready now. Today, perhaps, would go better. Today, perhaps, could go by routine.

But something felt off, and in his fatigued state he could not quite put his finger on what that was.

He unpacked the stove and considered what breakfast could be today. They’d managed to procure a few ingredients between foraging and what was fresh at the shop. Ah yes, there was the rest of that steak, and the eggs they’d bought and the pepper Prompto had picked out. He’d make a second attempt at this meal.

He went through his practiced motions, setting up the percolator, slicing the pepper, opening a can of Ebony.

Strange, he didn’t think he had any left in the cooler. A lovely morning surprise all the same.

The tent opened. Ignis hoped Gladio had thoroughly slept off his cold and would greet him as he’d always done.

“Hey, Specs.” It was Noct. “Are those peppers? Come on....why ruin a perfectly good breakfast?” He whined.

“What?” Ignis asked. “How have you awoken before Gladio twice in a row?”

“What are you talking about?” Noct got closer to the stove to investigate what other terrible ingredients might be lurking in the pan. “Gladio’s still asleep. Probably worn out from yesterday. Anyway, Prompto was snoring too much so I decided to just get up.”

Ignis turned to see Prompto poking his head out.

“Heyas, uh, I think the big guy is sick.” He called from the tent flap.

“Is this a joke?” Ignis asked.

“Uh, what?” Prompto blinked.

“Gladio doesn’t get sick.” Noctis said, turning too quickly towards the tent, his elbow colliding with the handle of the pan and knocking it down. “Shit!” He yelped, reaching out thoughtlessly and grabbing for the pan. “SHIT!” He yelled, dropping the searing hot cookware. 

“Ah, duuuude, now the steak is all covered in dirt.” Prompto whined, emerging from the tent. “If you didn’t want to eat the peppers that badly you could’ve just given them to me.” He pouted.

“How did you not learn your lesson from yesterday?!” Ignis asked, exasperated.

“What are you talking about, what happened yesterday?” Noct asked, hissing at the burn marks on his hands.

“I’ll get the first aid kit!” Prompto offered.

Ignis looked between the two, watching as Prompto retrieved the burn cream and sterile bandaging. “You might wanna check on Gladio, Iggy, he’s looking pretty bad.”

Ignis simply stood and stared. It was then he realized, they were not in the haven near Hammerhead. They were in Duscae. Where the slept the previous night.

Where he’d woken up to begin such a terrible day. His thoughts began to swim, was he still dreaming? He must be. His mind was forcing him to relive the horror so he could pick apart every wrong move and learn from his mistakes.

“Whadiyou two do?” Came the congested voice of Gladio, outside the tent, fully dressed.

Again.

“You doing okay, big guy?” Prompto asked.

“Is fine, fine. I’m gonna run. Just...just gotta run.” He waved his hand in the direction of the wooded area. Ignis took said hand and felt, really felt Gladio’s touch. His clammy skin, his feverish face, his sweat covered hair. 

It was all real. It was all completely real.

Ignis Scientia was reliving the previous day.

This was not a normal occurrence.

**Author's Note:**

> @pandalots on twitter
> 
> bramblepeltao3.tumblr.com


End file.
